Throw Away Your Baby’s Head Pillow, Says FDA
Safe sleep for babies involves placing them on their back in a crib with no pillows, bumpers, or blankets. This is still true even if the pillow is marketed for babies and even if it says it prevents SIDS or helps your baby’s head grow in a more natural shape. Or, to quote the Food and Drug Administration : “If you have a baby head pillow, throw it away; don’t donate or give it to anyone else.”
Pediatricians have been saying for decades that pillows shouldn’t be in cribs, but baby product companies continue to make and sell things that can be put in cribs. “Head-shaping” or “head-supporting” pillows usually have an opening or notch so that the baby’s head is facing forward. But babies don’t need them, and they can be dangerous.
Why are baby pillows dangerous?
Sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) is a category of deaths that can occur while babies are sleeping. This includes SIDS, as well as things like choking, choking, and being trapped. And we know that the risk is lowest when babies sleep in a crib with only a sheet.
Therefore, it is recommended to keep all this away. No pillows, not even “shaping the head.” No douches. Without bumpers. No blankets. (Just dress them in warm pajamas if you’re afraid they’ll get cold.) The FDA, thankfully, doesn’t mention recent infant deaths in its warning , but head-shaping pillows are still considered unsafe for the same reason other pillows. considered unsafe.
There’s another downside to head pillows: If you’re using them because you’re worried about the shape of your child’s head, you should probably talk to your child’s doctor about it. A slightly flattened head often returns to a more normal shape as the child grows, but there are medical conditions that require professional attention, such as synostosis, in which the bones of the skull fuse too early. The time you spend waiting for the pillow to work its magic is the time your pediatrician could help your child with approved procedures.
Are there head shaping pillows that actually work?
No. There are no FDA-approved pillows on the market to prevent or treat flat head syndrome or any other medical condition. The agency does not consider any pillows safe and effective for this purpose, even those sold with pseudo-medical language such as “designed by a pediatrician.”
There are caps, helmets, and headbands that are approved for reshaping a baby’s head or designed to be worn after synostosis surgery. But your child’s pediatrician can best help you with this.
The bottom line is that if your child has a problem that needs medical attention, a pillow won’t solve it; and if your child has a problem that doesn’t require medical attention, a pillow won’t solve it anyway . But a pillow can pose a safety hazard. So your best bet is to do what the FDA advises and ditch it.